Hollywood unions released an EY study in Los Angeles on October 5 showing a sharp fall in the budget share associated with films shot substantially in the United States. That share dropped from 74% to 42% over the study’s long-term comparison, strengthening the unions’ call for a federal production incentive, according to IATSE and TheWrap.
EY compared averages for 1999–2001 and 2022–2024 within a 25-year review. Its sample covers scripted, live-action productions from selected major US studios. The findings describe budgets associated with filming-location categories, rather than tracking every dollar spent within national borders. Substantial US filming includes projects shot primarily or partly in the country.
The film-budget share linked to projects shot mainly abroad rose from 26% to 58%. Meanwhile, the proportion of films with substantial US filming fell from 66% to 54%, and their share of cast and crew declined from 72% to 43%. These figures concern the studied productions, not all entertainment employment.
Television showed a similar shift: the budget share for episodes with substantial US filming fell from 94% to 64%, while their share of episode numbers dropped from 96% to 70%. EY used three-year averages to reduce annual volatility and cautioned that streaming-related changes limit comparisons across television eras.
The coalition includes the directors’ guild, IATSE, LIUNA, SAG-AFTRA, Teamsters and both US writers’ guilds. Its announcement argues that federal support is needed to compete with foreign incentives and protect domestic jobs. EY’s report measures the geographic shift; it explicitly does not establish why the migration occurred.
TheWrap reported that a bipartisan bill introduced in Congress last month would offer a 20% base incentive on cast and crew spending, potentially rising to 30% through additional provisions. The proposal remains a legislative measure under consideration. The unions are using the new research to support their campaign for federal action.
Comments